Buckle

Abstract

This buckle (1) is provided with a plug (10) and a socket (20) into which the plug (10) is inserted. The plug (10) is provided with: an attachment piece (11) to which an object to be fastened can be attached; a pair of legs (12A, 12B) that protrude from the attachment piece (11) in the direction of insertion into the socket (20) and that elastically engage with the socket (20); and a switching piece (14) that is supported on either the attachment piece (11) or the pair of legs (12A, 12B) and is disposed between the pair of legs (12A, 12B). The switching piece (14) is provided with: an engagement part (15) that, according to the posture of the switching piece (14) with respect to the socket (20), switches between an engagement state in which the engagement part engages with the socket (20), and a release state in which the engagement part is released from engagement with the socket (20); an operation part (16) for receiving pressure that changes the posture of the switching piece (14) with respect to the socket (20); and a posture maintaining part (17) that, at least when the engagement part (15) is in the release state, abuts against the socket (20) so as to maintain the posture of the switching piece (14).

Description

buckle

[0001] The present invention relates to a buckle comprising a plug and a socket.

[0002] Conventionally, buckles equipped with a plug and a socket have been known as buckles for detachably connecting two objects to be attached, and one such buckle is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the buckle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the plug includes a pair of legs and an engaging portion (button) disposed between the pair of legs. In this type of buckle, when the plug is inserted into the socket, the pair of legs and the engaging portion elastically engage with the socket, thereby coupling the plug to the socket.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-252108

[0005] However, with the buckle of Patent Document 1, in order to release the plug from the socket, it is necessary to simultaneously operate the pair of legs and the engaging portion, which makes it difficult to operate with one hand and results in a problem of low operability.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a buckle with improved operability.

[0007] (First Aspect) A buckle according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plug and a socket into which the plug is inserted, the plug including an attachment portion to which an attached object can be attached, a pair of legs protruding from the attachment portion in a direction in which the plug is inserted into the socket and elastically engaging with the socket, and a switching portion disposed between the pair of legs and supported by the attachment portion or the pair of legs, the switching portion including an engagement portion that switches between an engagement state in which the plug engages with the socket and a release state in which the plug is released from the socket depending on the orientation of the switching portion relative to the socket, an operating portion that receives pressure to change the orientation of the switching portion relative to the socket, and a position maintaining portion that abuts against the socket to maintain the orientation of the switching portion at least when the engagement portion is in the release state. With this configuration, when disconnecting the plug from the socket, the pair of legs and the engagement portion can be operated separately rather than simultaneously, improving operability of the buckle.

[0008] (Second Aspect) In the buckle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the socket may include a case portion having an opening through which the pair of legs are inserted and which houses the pair of legs, and a stopper portion protruding from the opening of the case portion along the insertion direction, and the position maintaining portion may abut against the stopper portion in a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction. In this configuration, the position maintaining portion and the stopper portion are disposed outside the case portion, making it easier to ensure the thickness of each of the position maintaining portion and the stopper portion, and improving the strength when they abut against each other.

[0009] (Third Aspect) In the buckle according to the second aspect of the present invention, the position maintaining portion preferably includes a pair of claw portions that face each other in a left-right direction that intersects the insertion direction and the thickness direction, and abut against the stopper portion in the thickness direction. With this configuration, the pair of claw portions can stably maintain the position of the switching portion.

[0010] In the buckle according to the third aspect of the present invention, the pair of claws are preferably connected to the operating portion and are elastically deformable in the thickness direction. With this configuration, the claws that come into contact with the stopper portion can be suitably moved in the thickness direction, making it easy to switch the position of the switching portion.

[0011] (Fifth Aspect) In the buckle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the socket may include a case portion having an opening through which the pair of legs are inserted and accommodating the pair of legs, a slit formed in the case portion so as to communicate with the opening and exposing the operating portion from the case portion in a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction, and a stopper portion provided on an edge of the slit, and the position maintaining portion may abut against the stopper portion in the thickness direction. With this configuration, the position maintaining portion is disposed within the slit of the socket, making it easy to reduce the dimensions of the buckle.

[0012] (Sixth Aspect) In the buckle according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the stopper portion includes a pair of stopper claws that protrude inward from the edge of the slit in left-right directions that intersect with the insertion direction and the thickness direction, and the position maintaining portion includes a pair of claws that abut against the pair of stopper claws in the thickness direction. With this configuration, the pair of claws can stably maintain the position of the switching portion.

[0013] (Seventh Aspect) In the buckle according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the position maintaining unit further includes an arm main body portion formed to be elastically deformable in the left-right direction, and the pair of claw portions are connected to the operating unit via the arm main body portion. In this configuration, the claw portions abutting on the stopper claw portions can be suitably moved in the thickness direction, making it easy to switch the position of the switching unit.

[0014] (Eighth Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, the position maintaining portion may abut against the socket so as to maintain the position of the switching portion when the engaging portion is in the released state and when the engaging portion is in the engaged state, thereby making it possible to stably maintain the engaged state of the engaging portion.

[0015] (Ninth Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, the engaging portion may be placed in the engaged state immediately after the plug is inserted into the socket. In this configuration, no operation of the operating portion is required to couple the plug to the socket, making the coupling operation of the buckle easier.

[0016] (Tenth Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, the engaging portion may be placed in the released state immediately after the plug is inserted into the socket. In this configuration, the plug can be pulled out of the socket immediately after being coupled to the socket, facilitating the operation of reconnecting the attached object.

[0017] (Eleventh Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, the plug may further include a pair of support legs that pass from the base ends of the pair of legs or the attachment portion between the pair of legs and the switching portion and are connected to the switching portion. With this configuration, the pair of support legs can stably support the switching portion.

[0018] (Twelfth Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, the plug may further include a pair of support legs that pass from the respective distal ends of the pair of legs between the pair of legs and the engaging portion and are connected to the operating portion. With this configuration, the pair of support legs are connected to the operating portion without passing between the operating portion and the legs, so a large space can be secured between the pair of legs for arranging the operating portion. As a result, a large width dimension of the operating portion can be secured.

[0019] (13th Aspect) In the buckle according to any one of the first to 12th aspects of the present invention, the operating portion may have a first surface facing one side in a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction of the plug and a second surface facing the other side in the thickness direction, and the engaging portion may be switched between the engaged state and the released state by applying pressure to the first surface or the second surface. In this configuration, the user can freely switch the engaging portion between the engaged state and the released state. This further improves the operability of the buckle.

[0020] (14th Aspect) In the buckle according to the 13th aspect of the present invention, the engaging portion may be switched from the released state to the engaged state by pressure applied to the first surface, and the switching portion may have a support protrusion that protrudes from the second surface of the operating portion and is capable of abutting against the inner surface of the socket. In this configuration, the support protrusion abuts against the inner surface of the socket when, for example, the user presses the operating portion to a large extent. This prevents excessive deformation of the flexible portion and suppresses damage to the plug.

[0021] 19 is a front view of a buckle according to the first embodiment. 20 is a rear view of a buckle according to the first embodiment. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 1. 23 is a perspective view of a buckle according to the first embodiment. 24 is a front view of a plug according to the first embodiment. 25 is a front view of a socket according to the first embodiment. 26 is a view illustrating the operation of a buckle according to the first embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 3. 27 is a view illustrating the operation of a buckle according to the first embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 4. 28 is a front view of a plug according to the second embodiment. 29 is a front view of a buckle according to a third embodiment. 29 is a rear view of a buckle according to the third embodiment. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 21. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 21. 22 is a front view of a plug according to the third embodiment. 23 is a front view of a socket according to the third embodiment. 24 is a view illustrating the operation of a buckle according to the third embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 13. 25 is a view illustrating the operation of a buckle according to the third embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 14. 26 is a front view of a buckle according to a fourth embodiment. 27 is a rear view of a buckle according to the fourth embodiment. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 21. 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in FIG. 21. 22 is a rear view showing the plug according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a view illustrating the operation of the buckle according to the fourth embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 21. FIG. 24 is a view illustrating the operation of the buckle according to the fourth embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 22.

[0022] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second and subsequent embodiments, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0023] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a buckle 1 of this embodiment includes a plug 10 and a socket 20 into which the plug 10 is inserted. An adherend is attached to each of the plug 10 and the socket 20, and the two adherends are connected to each other by coupling the plug 10 to the socket 20. The adherend may be any long object such as a belt, tape, or string.

[0024] In the following description, the length direction of the socket 20 and the plug 10 is referred to as the X direction, the width direction (left-right direction) of the buckle 1 is referred to as the Y direction, and the thickness direction (up-down direction) of the buckle 1 is referred to as the Z direction. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are perpendicular to one another. Of the X directions, the insertion direction of the plug 10 into the socket 20 is referred to as the +X direction, and the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the plug 10 (i.e., the removal direction) is referred to as the −X direction. Of the Z directions, the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the buckle 1 is referred to as the +Z direction, and the direction from the front surface to the back surface of the buckle 1 is referred to as the −Z direction. Regarding the Y direction, the direction toward the center of the buckle 1 in the Y direction is referred to as the inward Y direction, and the direction away from the center of the buckle 1 in the Y direction is referred to as the outward Y direction.

[0025] 6, the plug 10 includes an attachment portion 11 to which an adherend can be attached, a pair of legs 12A, 12B that protrude in the X direction from the attachment portion 11 and elastically engage with the socket 20, a pair of support legs 13A, 13B connected to the pair of legs 12A, 12B, and a switching portion 14 that is disposed between the pair of legs 12A, 12B and supported by the pair of support legs 13A, 13B. The plug 10 of this embodiment is integrally molded from, for example, a synthetic resin material.

[0026] The mounting part 11 has rod parts 111, 112 arranged along the Y direction, and a pair of side walls 113A, 113B that connect the rod parts 111, 112 at both ends in the Y direction. A gap exists between the rod parts 111, 112 through which an adherend can be inserted, and the adherend can be attached to the mounting part 11 by wrapping the adherend around at least one of the rod parts 111, 112.

[0027] The legs 12A and 12B are connected to the mounting portion 11 at positions spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. Specifically, the leg 12A is connected to a side wall 113A of the mounting portion 11, and the leg 12B is connected to a side wall 113B. Each of the legs 12A and 12B includes a leg piece 121 extending from the mounting portion 11 in the X direction, and a pair of protrusions 122 (see FIG. 3) protruding from the tip of the leg piece 121 in the Z direction or the −Z direction. The leg piece 121 is formed to be elastically deformable in the Y direction.

[0028] The support legs 13A, 13B are connected to the base ends of the legs 12A, 12B and extend from the base ends of the legs 12A, 12B so as to pass between the pair of legs 12A, 12B and the switching portion 14. Specifically, the support leg 13A extends from the base end of the leg 12A in the +X direction while bending inward in the Y direction. Similarly, the support leg 13B extends from the base end of the leg 12B in the +X direction while bending inward in the Y direction. The tip ends of the support legs 13A, 13B are connected to each other to form a connecting portion 131. This connecting portion 131 has a recess 132 that opens in the -Z direction and extends along the X direction.

[0029] The switching unit 14 is disposed between the pair of legs 12A, 12B (and between the pair of support legs 13A, 13B) and is cantilevered by a connecting portion 131 of the support legs 13A, 13B. Specifically, the switching unit 14 includes a base 140 connected to the connecting portion 131, an engagement portion 15 provided on the base 140, an operation unit 16 connected to the base 140, and an attitude maintaining unit 17 connected to the operation unit 16.

[0030] The base 140 connects the support legs 13A, 13B and the operation unit 16. The base 140 also includes a flexible portion 141 that is elastically deformable in the Z direction and is located on the +X side of the engagement portion 15. The thickness of the flexible portion 141 is thinner than the thickness of other portions of the base 140. In this embodiment, the elastic deformation of the flexible portion 141 of the base 140 allows the attitude of the switching unit 14 to change.

[0031] The engaging portion 15 has a convex shape that protrudes in the +Z direction from the base portion 140. As shown in Fig. 3, the engaging portion 15 has an abutment surface 151 that faces the -X direction, and an inclined surface 152 that faces the +X direction and is inclined with respect to the X and Z directions.

[0032] The operating portion 16 is disposed on the -X side of the engaging portion 15 and has a convex shape that protrudes in the Z direction further than the base portion 140. The operating portion 16 has an operating surface 161 facing the +Z direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operating portion 16 is formed with recesses 162 that open in the -Z direction and the -X direction, respectively, and that communicate with a gap G between the claw portions 17A and 17B, which will be described later. The base portion 140 and the operating portion 16 may have a lightening hole that opens in the -Z direction.

[0033] The posture maintaining unit 17 is disposed on the -X side of the operating unit 16 and includes a pair of claws 17A, 17B that face each other with a gap G in the Y direction between them. The gap G between the pair of claws 17A, 17B communicates with a recess 162 of the operating unit 16. These claws 17A, 17B are formed to be elastically deformable in the Z direction.

[0034] 4, each of the claws 17A and 17B has an abutment surface 171 facing the +Z direction and an inclined surface 172 facing the -Z direction. Each inclined surface 172 of the claws 17A and 17B is inclined with respect to the Y and Z directions so that the gap G between the pair of claws 17A and 17B becomes smaller as it approaches the +Z direction. The minimum dimension of the gap G between the pair of claws 17A and 17B is smaller than the maximum dimension in the Y direction of a stopper portion 25, which will be described later.

[0035] 7, the socket 20 includes a case portion 21, an attachment portion 22 provided on the case portion 21 and capable of attaching an adherend, and a guide portion 24 and a stopper portion 25 provided on the case portion 21. The socket 20 of this embodiment is integrally molded from, for example, a synthetic resin material.

[0036] The case 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape arranged along the X direction and is capable of accommodating the legs 12A, 12B of the plug 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Specifically, the case 21 includes a first wall 211 and a second wall 212 arranged opposite each other in the Z direction, and a pair of side walls 213A, 213B arranged opposite each other in the Y direction.

[0037] 3, a first opening AP1 that opens in the −X direction and a second opening AP2 that opens in the +X direction are formed in the case 21. The first opening AP1 and the second opening AP2 each communicate with the storage space SP inside the case 21. The first opening AP1 corresponds to the opening of the present invention through which the pair of legs 12A, 12B are inserted.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 , the first wall portion 211 has a slit SL1 cut into the first wall portion 211 in the +X direction from the first opening AP1. This slit SL1 exposes the operation unit 16 from the case portion 21 in the +Z direction. The first wall portion 211 also has a hole TH1 that is disposed on the +X side of the slit SL1 and penetrates the first wall portion 211 in the Z direction. This hole TH1 exposes the engagement portion 15 from the case portion 21 in the +Z direction. Here, the edge of the first wall portion 211 on the -X side of the hole TH1 becomes an engaged portion 216 with which the engagement portion 15 engages.

[0039] 2, the second wall portion 212 has a pair of slits SL2 cut into the second wall portion 212 in the +X direction from the first opening AP1, and a slit SL3 cut into the second wall portion 212 in the −X direction from the second opening AP2. The pair of slits SL2 prevent interference between the pair of claws 17A, 17B and the second wall portion 212 when the posture of the switching unit 14 changes. The slits SL3 expose the respective protrusions 122 of the pair of legs 12A, 12B from the case portion 21 in the −Z direction.

[0040] The side walls 213A, 213B are portions that connect the first wall 211 and the second wall 212 to each other. As shown in FIG. 5 , the side walls 213A, 213B have holes TH2 that penetrate the side walls 213A, 213B in the Y direction. Each hole TH2 exposes the leg pieces 121 of the legs 12A, 12B outward in the Y direction from the case 21. The portions of the leg pieces 121 that are exposed through the holes TH2 of the case 21 serve as operating parts for operating the legs 12A, 12B when releasing the buckle 1.

[0041] 1 and 2, the side walls 213A, 213B have a guide surface 214 that faces the -X direction inside the case 21, and a pair of engaged surfaces 215 that are continuous with the guide surface 214 and face the +X direction. The guide surfaces 214 guide the protrusions 122 of the legs 12A, 12B that are inserted into the socket 20 inward in the X and Y directions. Although not shown, the pair of engaged surfaces 215 are arranged with a gap in the Z direction between them. The protrusions 122 guided by the guide surfaces 214 can engage with the engaged surfaces 215 in the X direction.

[0042] The mounting part 22 has a rod part 221 arranged along the Y direction, and a pair of connecting parts 223A, 223B that connect the rod part 221 and the case part 21. A gap exists between the rod part 221 and the case part 21, through which an adherend can be inserted. The adherend is attached to the mounting part 22 by wrapping the adherend around the rod part 221.

[0043] The guide portion 24 is a protrusion disposed along the X direction and protruding from the second wall portion 212 in the +Z direction at the center of the case portion 21 in the Y direction. The stopper portion 25 is formed continuously from the guide portion 24, protruding from the second wall portion 212 in the +Z direction and protruding from the first opening AP1 of the case portion 21 in the −X direction. As shown in FIG. 4 , the stopper portion 25 has an abutment surface 251 facing the −Z direction. Note that the stopper portion 25 may be provided with a convex portion 252 protruding in the −Z direction from the abutment surface 251 in order to increase the strength of the stopper portion 25.

[0044] (Coupling of the Buckle 1) The coupling operation of the buckle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4. When coupling the buckle 1, the user inserts the plug 10 into the first opening AP1 of the socket 20.

[0045] When the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 20, the protrusions 122 of the legs 12A and 12B are pressed by the guide surfaces 214 of the socket 20, causing the leg pieces 121 of the legs 12A and 12B to elastically deform inward in the Y direction. When the protrusions 122 climb over the guide surfaces 214, the pressure applied to the protrusions 122 from the guide surfaces 214 is released, and the leg pieces 121 return to their original shape. This allows the protrusions 122 to engage with the engagement surface 215 of the socket 20 in the -X direction, as shown in FIG. 1 . In other words, the legs 12A and 12B engage with the socket 20 in the X direction.

[0046] When the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 20, the guide portion 24 is inserted into the recess 132 (see FIG. 6 ) in the connecting portion 131 of the support legs 13A and 13B, guiding the plug 10 in the X direction. The inclined surface 152 of the engaging portion 15 is pressed by the first wall portion 211 of the case portion 21, causing the flexible portion 141 to elastically deform. When the engaging portion 15 reaches the hole TH1 of the first wall portion 211, the pressure applied to the engaging portion 15 by the first wall portion 211 is released, causing the flexible portion 141 to return to its original shape. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 , the engaging portion 15 is positioned within the hole TH1, and the abutment surface 151 of the engaging portion 15 can engage with the engaged portion 216, which is the edge of the hole TH1, in the −X direction. That is, the engaging portion 15 is in an “engaged state” in which it engages with the socket 20 in the X direction.

[0047] Furthermore, when the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 20, the inclined surface 152 of the engagement portion 15 is pressed by the first wall portion 211 of the case portion 21, and the flexible portion 141 is elastically deformed, causing the attitude of the switching portion 14 to change slightly toward the −Z side. At this time, the amount of movement of the claws 17A, 17B in the −Z direction due to the change in attitude of the switching portion 14 is smaller than the amount of movement required for the claws 17A, 17B to overcome the stopper portion 25. Therefore, when the insertion of the plug 10 into the socket 20 is complete, the claws 17A, 17B are positioned on the +Z side of the stopper portion 25 without overtaking the stopper portion 25 (see FIG. 4). At this time, the inclined surfaces 172 of the claws 17A, 17B can abut against the stopper portion 25 in the −Z direction. As a result, the attitude maintainer 17 enters an “engagement maintaining state” in which the attitude of the switching portion 14 is maintained.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 20, the engaging portion 15 enters the "engaged state" and the attitude maintaining portion 17 enters the "engaged state." While the attitude maintaining portion 17 is in the "engaged state," the attitude maintaining portion 17 maintains the engaging portion 15 in the "engaged state" unless an operation is performed on the operating portion 16. Note that when the engaging portion 15 is in the "engaged state," the buckle 1 will not be released even if unintentional pressure is applied to the pair of legs 12A, 12B. This improves the safety of the buckle 1.

[0049] (Uncoupling of Buckle 1) The operation of uncoupling the buckle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. When uncoupling the buckle 1, the user performs a first uncoupling operation and a second uncoupling operation, which will be described below, in that order.

[0050] As a first release operation, the user presses the operation unit 16 in the −Z direction, that is, applies pressure in the −Z direction to the operation surface 161 of the operation unit 16. At this time, the operation unit 16 receives pressure F in the −Z direction, and the flexible portion 141 elastically deforms, causing the attitude of the switching unit 14 to change to the −Z side.

[0051] When the posture of the switching portion 14 changes to the −Z side, the engaging portion 15 moves in the −Z direction and is positioned on the −Z side of the engaged portion 216. As a result, the engaging portion 15 enters a “released state” in which it is released from engagement with the socket 20.

[0052] Furthermore, when the attitude of the switching unit 14 changes to the -Z side, the attitude maintaining unit 17 shown in FIG. 4 moves in the -Z direction. At this time, the inclined surfaces 172 of the claws 17A and 17B are pressed by the stopper unit 25, causing the claws 17A and 17B to elastically deform so that the gap G between the pair of claws 17A and 17B widens in the Y direction. The stopper unit 25 is guided by the inclined surfaces 172 and passes through the gap G between the pair of claws 17A and 17B. Then, when the stopper unit 25 is positioned within the recess 162 of the operation unit 16, the pressure applied to the claws 17A and 17B by the stopper unit 25 is released, and the claws 17A and 17B return to their original shapes. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the claws 17A and 17B are disposed on the −Z side of the stopper 25, and the contact surfaces 171 of the claws 17A and 17B can contact the contacted surfaces 251 of the stopper 25.

[0053] Thereafter, when the pressure F on the operation surface 161 is released, the attitude of the switching unit 14 attempts to return to its original state due to the elasticity of the flexible portion 141. However, the abutment surfaces 171 of the claw portions 17A and 17B abut against the abutted surfaces 251 of the stopper portion 25, restricting the movement of the switching unit 14 to return to its original state. In other words, the attitude maintaining unit 17 enters a "release maintaining state" in which the attitude of the switching unit 14 is maintained.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first release operation causes the engagement unit 15 to enter the "released state" and the attitude maintaining unit 17 to enter the "released state." When the engagement unit 15 is in the "released state," an elastic force is generated in the switching unit 14. However, because the attitude maintaining unit 17 is in the "released state," the engagement unit 15 is maintained in the "released state" even if the pressure on the operation unit 16 is released. In other words, while the attitude maintaining unit 17 is in the "released state," the attitude maintaining unit 17 maintains the engagement unit 15 in the "released state" unless an operation is performed on the operation unit 16.

[0055] Next, as a second release operation, the user applies pressure inward in the Y direction and in the −X direction to the leg pieces 121 of the legs 12A and 12B. At this time, the leg pieces 121 of the legs 12A and 12B elastically deform inward in the Y direction, thereby releasing the protrusions 122 of the legs 12A and 12B from the engaged surfaces 215 of the socket 20. Then, the plug 10 is pulled out from the socket 20 in the −X direction.

[0056] The first and second release operations described above release the connection of the buckle 1. Here, the first and second release operations only need to be performed in order, and do not have to be performed simultaneously.

[0057] Effect of First Embodiment In the buckle 1 of this embodiment, as described above, when the engaging portion 15 is in the engaged state, the pair of legs 12A, 12B of the plug 10 and the engaging portion 15 can each engage with the socket 20. Furthermore, when pressure is applied to the operating portion 16, the attitude of the switching portion 14 changes, and the engaging portion 15 switches from the engaged state to the released state. At this time, the attitude maintaining portion 17 maintains the attitude of the switching portion 14, so that the engaging portion 15 is maintained in the released state. Therefore, after releasing the pressure on the operating portion 16, the user can decouple the plug 10 from the socket 20 by pressing the pair of legs 12A, 12B. In other words, when decoupling the plug 10 from the socket 20, the pair of legs 12A, 12B and the engaging portion 15 can be operated separately rather than simultaneously. This improves the operability of the buckle 1, allowing the user to release the buckle 1 with one hand.

[0058] In this embodiment, the socket 20 includes a stopper portion 25 that protrudes in the X direction from the first opening AP1 of the case portion 21, and the attitude maintaining portion 17 abuts against the stopper portion 25 in the Z direction. In this configuration, the attitude maintaining portion 17 and the stopper portion 25 are disposed outside the case portion 21, which makes it easier to ensure the thickness of the attitude maintaining portion 17 and the stopper portion 25, and improves the strength when they abut against each other.

[0059] In this embodiment, the posture maintaining unit 17 includes a pair of claws 17A and 17B that abut against the stopper 25 in the Z direction. In this configuration, the posture of the switching unit 14 can be stably maintained by the pair of claws 17A and 17B.

[0060] In this embodiment, the pair of claws 17A, 17B are connected to the operating unit 16 and are formed to be elastically deformable in the Z direction. With this configuration, the claws 17A, 17B that come into contact with the stopper 25 can be suitably moved in the Z direction, making it easy to switch the position of the switching unit 14.

[0061] In this embodiment, the attitude maintaining portion 17 abuts against the socket 20 so as to maintain the attitude of the switching portion 14 not only when the engaging portion 15 is in the released state but also when the engaging portion 15 is in the engaged state. This makes it possible to stably maintain the engaged state of the engaging portion 15.

[0062] In this embodiment, the engaging portion 15 is disposed in the engaging position immediately after the plug 10 is inserted into the socket 20. With this configuration, the operation of the operating portion 16 is not required when coupling the plug 10 to the socket 20, which makes the coupling operation of the buckle 1 easier.

[0063] In this embodiment, the plug 10 further includes a pair of support legs 13A, 13B that extend from the base ends of the pair of legs 12A, 12B to pass between the pair of legs 12A, 12B and the switching unit 14 and are connected to the switching unit 14. With this configuration, the switching unit 14 can be stably supported.

[0064] In this embodiment, the case portion 21 of the socket 20 has a pair of slits SL2 to avoid interference with the claw portions 17A, 17B. With this configuration, the operating unit 16 can be positioned further toward the +X direction than if the case portion 21 did not have the pair of slits SL2. This allows the entire buckle 1 to be configured more compactly. Furthermore, by positioning the claw portions 17A, 17B within the pair of slits SL2 of the case portion 21, excessive external force can be prevented from being applied to the claw portions 17A, 17B, and as a result, damage to the claw portions 17A, 17B can be prevented.

[0065] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The buckle of the second embodiment is a modified example of the buckle 1 of the first embodiment, and includes a plug 10B shown in Fig. 10 and the socket 20 of the first embodiment. The plug 10B of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the pair of support legs 18A, 18B.

[0066] Specifically, the plug 10B comprises an attachment portion 11, a pair of legs 12A, 12B, a pair of support legs 18A, 18B connected to the tips of the pair of legs 12A, 12B, and a switching portion 14B arranged between the pair of legs 12A, 12B and supported by the pair of support legs 18A, 18B.

[0067] Support legs 18A, 18B extend in the −X direction from the tip ends of legs 12A, 12B, pass between engaging portion 15 and legs 12A, 12B, and are connected to operation unit 16. Support legs 18A, 18B also include flexible portion 181 that is elastically deformable in the Z direction as a portion located on the +X side of engaging portion 15. Specifically, support legs 18A, 18B include flexible portion 181 connected to the tip ends of legs 12A, 12B, and support leg main portion 182 that connects flexible portion 181 and operation unit 16.

[0068] The switching unit 14B differs from the switching unit 14 of the first embodiment in that it does not include the flexible portion 141 described in the first embodiment, and the operation unit 16 is supported by support legs 18A and 18B.

[0069] The buckle of the second embodiment described above can operate in the same manner as the buckle 1 of the first embodiment, and has the same effects as the buckle 1 of the first embodiment.

[0070] Furthermore, in the plug 10B of the second embodiment, the support legs 18A, 18B are connected to the operating unit 16 without passing between the operating unit 16 and the legs 12A, 12B, so a large space can be secured between the legs 12A, 12B for arranging the operating unit 16. As a result, the Y-direction dimension of the operating unit 16 can be secured to be larger than in the first embodiment.

[0071] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 18. As shown in Figures 11 to 14, a buckle 1C of the third embodiment includes a plug 10C and a socket 20C, similar to the buckle 1 of the first embodiment. However, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration and operation of a switching unit 14C.

[0072] (Configuration of plug 10C) As shown in FIG. 15 , the plug 10C includes an attachment portion 11C to which an adherend can be attached, a pair of legs 12A, 12B that protrude in the X direction from the attachment portion 11C and elastically engage with the socket 20C, a pair of support legs 13C, 13D connected to the attachment portion 11C, and a switching portion 14C that is disposed between the pair of legs 12A, 12B and supported by the pair of support legs 13C, 13D.

[0073] The mounting portion 11C has rod portions 111, 112, and 114 arranged along the Y direction, and a pair of side walls 113A and 113B that connect the rod portions 111, 112, and 114 at both ends in the Y direction. The adherend is attached to the mounting portion 11C by wrapping the adherend around at least one of the rod portions 111 and 112.

[0074] The support legs 13C and 13D are connected to the mounting portion 11C on the inside in the Y direction relative to the pair of legs 12A and 12B. Specifically, the support legs 13C and 13D extend in the +X direction from the rod portion 114 and are bent inward in the Y direction. The tip portions of the support legs 13C and 13D form a connecting portion 134 that connects them to each other. In addition, a guide piece 133 is connected to each tip portion of the support legs 13C and 13D, which extends in the +X direction and is bent outward in the Y direction on the +X side of the legs 12A and 12B.

[0075] The switching unit 14C is disposed between the pair of legs 12A, 12B, and is cantilevered by the connecting portion 134 of the support legs 13C, 13D. Specifically, the switching unit 14C includes a base 140 connected to the connecting portion 134, an engagement portion 15 provided on the base 140, an operation unit 16C connected to the base 140, and an attitude maintaining unit 19 connected to the operation unit 16C.

[0076] The base 140 and the engagement portion 15 may be configured substantially similarly to those in the first embodiment. For example, the base 140 connects the support legs 13C, 13D and the operation portion 16C. The base 140 also includes a flexible portion 141 that is elastically deformable in the Z direction and is located on the +X side of the engagement portion 15. The engagement portion 15 has a convex shape that protrudes from the base 140 in the +Z direction.

[0077] The operation unit 16C includes a plate unit 163 that is disposed on the −X side of the engagement unit 15 and in the Z direction of the base unit 140. The plate unit 163 has an operation surface 161 (first surface) facing the +Z direction and an operation surface 164 (second surface) facing the +Z direction (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

[0078] 11, a gap GP is formed between the plate portion 163 and the rod portion 114 of the attachment portion 11, which allows the user's fingers or an instrument to reach the operation surface 164 from the +Z side of the buckle 1C. Also, as shown in FIG. 14, the operation surface 164 of the plate portion 163 may be provided with a reinforcing structure that protrudes in the -Z direction.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 15, the posture maintaining unit 19 includes a pair of arms 19A and 19B provided at both ends of the plate unit 163 in the Y direction. As shown in Fig. 14, the arm unit 19A has an arm main body 191A extending in the -Z direction from one end of the plate unit 163 in the Y direction, and a claw 192A protruding outward in the Y direction from the arm main body 191A. Similarly, the arm unit 19B has an arm main body 191B extending in the -Z direction from the other end of the plate unit 163 in the Y direction, and a claw 192B protruding outward in the Y direction from the arm main body 191B. The arm main bodies 191A and 191B are formed to be elastically deformable in the Y direction.

[0080] (Configuration of socket 20C) As shown in FIG. 16 , socket 20C comprises a case portion 21C, an attachment portion 22 provided on case portion 21C to which an adherend can be attached, and a guide portion 24C and a stopper portion 26 provided on case portion 21C.

[0081] The case 21C is configured substantially similarly to the case 21 of the first embodiment. However, the slit SL2 of the first embodiment does not necessarily have to be formed in the case 21C. The socket 20C is preferably provided with a wall 217 that is disposed along the edge of the slit SL1 and that protrudes in the +Z direction from the first wall 211. This wall 217 is disposed so as to surround the operating unit 16C that is exposed in the +Z direction from the case 21C. This allows stable operation of the operating unit 16 and protects the arms 19A and 19B from the outside.

[0082] Guide portion 24C is provided in the center in the Y direction inside case 21C. Specifically, guide portion 24C has a guide protrusion 241 that protrudes in the Z direction from the inner surface of second wall portion 212 and is arranged along the X direction, and a guide end portion 242 that connects first wall portion 211 and second wall portion 212 at the +X side end portion of guide protrusion 241 (see FIG. 13 ).

[0083] The stopper portion 26 includes a pair of stopper claws 26A, 26B that are arranged to face each other in the Y direction on the edge of the slit SL1 of the case portion 21. The stopper claws 26A, 26B protrude inward in the Y direction from the edge of the slit SL1, and the protruding height of each of the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the Y direction may be such that they can interfere with the claws 192A, 192B.

[0084] (Coupling of the buckle 1C: First engaging operation) The coupling operation of the buckle 1C will be described with reference to Figures 11, 13, and 14. When coupling the buckle 1C, the user sequentially performs the first engaging operation and the second engaging operation, which will be described below.

[0085] As a first engagement operation, the user inserts the plug 10C into the first opening AP1 of the socket 20C. This causes the legs 12A and 12B to operate in the same manner as in the first embodiment and engage with the socket 20C in the X direction. When the plug 10C is inserted into the socket 20C, the guide portion 24C is inserted between the support legs 13A and 13B, guides the plug 10 in the X direction, and then abuts against the plug 10 in the X direction.

[0086] Furthermore, when the plug 10C is inserted into the socket 20C, the engaging portion 15 is pressed by the first wall portion 211 of the case portion 21, and the flexible portion 141 elastically deforms, changing the orientation of the switching portion 14C toward the −Z side. At this time, the amount of movement of the claws 192A, 192B in the −Z direction accompanying the change in orientation of the switching portion 14C is greater than the amount of movement required for the claws 192A, 192B to overcome the stopper claws 26A, 26B. Therefore, in the orientation maintaining unit 19, the arm main bodies 191A, 191B elastically deform inward in the Y direction, and the claws 192A, 192B overcome the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the −Z direction. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , the claws 192A, 192B are positioned on the −Z side of the stopper claws 26A, 26B and are able to abut against the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the +Z direction.

[0087] Thereafter, the posture of switching unit 14C attempts to return to its original state due to the elasticity of flexible portion 141. However, the movement of switching unit 14C returning to its original state is restricted by claws 192A and 192B coming into contact with stopper claws 26A and 26B. In other words, posture maintaining unit 19 enters a "release maintaining state" in which the posture of switching unit 14C is maintained.

[0088] 17, when the attitude maintaining unit 19 is in the "release maintaining state," the engaging unit 15 is positioned on the -Z side of the engaged unit 216. This causes the engaging unit 15 to enter a "released state" in which the engagement with the socket 20C in the X direction is released.

[0089] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first engagement operation causes the legs 12A, 12B to engage with the socket 20C, but the engagement unit 15 enters the "released state," and the attitude maintaining unit 17 enters the "released state." When the engagement unit 15 is in the "released state," an elastic force is generated in the switching unit 14C, but because the attitude maintaining unit 17 is in the "released state," the engagement unit 15 is maintained in the "released state." In other words, while the attitude maintaining unit 19 is in the "released state," the attitude maintaining unit 19 maintains the engagement unit 15 in the "released state" unless an operation is performed on the operating unit 16C.

[0090] (Engaging the buckle 1C; second engagement operation) After the first engagement operation, the user may perform the second engagement operation as necessary. Note that if the user determines that engaging the legs 12A, 12B with the socket 20C is sufficient depending on the situation in which the buckle 1C is being used, the user may not need to perform the subsequent second engagement operation.

[0091] As a second engagement operation, the user performs an operation of pulling up the operation unit 16C in the +Z direction, that is, an operation of applying pressure in the +Z direction to the operation surface 164. At this time, the posture of the switching unit 14C changes to the +Z side so that the elastic deformation of the flexible unit 141 is released.

[0092] When the attitude of the switching unit 14C changes to the +Z side, the engaging unit 15 moves in the +Z direction. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the engaging unit 15 is disposed within the hole TH1 of the first wall 211 and becomes engageable in the −X direction with the engaged unit 216, which is the edge of the hole TH1. That is, the engaging unit 15 is in an "engaged state" in which it can engage with the socket 20C in the X direction. When the engaging unit 15 is in the "engaged state," as shown in FIG. 13 , the operating unit 16C is disposed in a state in which it protrudes further toward the +Z side than the case 21C. At this time, the engaging unit 15 is protected from external interference by the wall 217.

[0093] Furthermore, when the posture of the switching unit 14C changes to the +Z side, the posture maintaining unit 19 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 moves in the +Z direction. At this time, the arm main bodies 191A, 191B elastically deform inward in the Y direction, and the claws 192A, 192B climb over the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the +Z direction. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the claws 192A, 192B are positioned on the +Z side of the stopper claws 26A, 26B and can abut against the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the -Z direction. This places the posture maintaining unit 19 in an "engagement maintaining state" in which the posture of the switching unit 14 is maintained.

[0094] Therefore, in this embodiment, the second engagement operation places the engagement portion 15 in the "engaged state" and the posture maintaining portion 19 in the "engaged maintenance state." While the posture maintaining portion 19 is in the "engaged maintenance state," the posture maintaining portion 19 maintains the engagement portion 15 in the "engaged state" unless an operation is performed on the operating portion 16C. Note that when the engagement portion 15 is in the "engaged state," the buckle 1C will not be released even if unintentional pressure is applied to the pair of legs 12A, 12B. This improves the safety of the buckle 1C.

[0095] (Uncoupling the Buckle 1C) In this embodiment, when uncoupling the buckle 1C, the user can perform the same operations as the first and second uncoupling operations described in the first embodiment.

[0096] For example, as a first release operation, the user performs an operation of applying pressure to operation unit 16C in the -Z direction. This switches engagement unit 15 from the "engaged state" to the "released state," and also switches posture maintenance unit 19 from the "engaged maintenance state" to the "released maintenance state." When engagement unit 15 is in the "released state," an elastic force is generated in switching unit 14, but while posture maintenance unit 19 is in the "released maintenance state," engagement unit 15 is maintained in the "released state" even if the pressure on operation unit 16C is released.

[0097] Thereafter, the user performs a second release operation by applying pressure inward in the Y direction and in the −X direction to each of the leg pieces 121 of the legs 12A and 12B, thereby pulling the plug 10 out of the socket 20 in the −X direction.

[0098] The buckle 1C is released by the first and second release operations described above. The first and second release operations may be performed in order, and do not have to be performed simultaneously.

[0099] (Effects of the Third Embodiment) The buckle 1C of the present embodiment described above can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. That is, in the buckle 1C of the present embodiment, as described above, when the engaging portion 15 is in the engaged state, the pair of legs 12A, 12B and the engaging portion 15 of the plug 10C can each engage with the socket 20C. Furthermore, when pressure is applied to the operating portion 16C, the posture of the switching portion 14 changes, and the engaging portion 15 switches from the engaged state to the released state. At this time, the posture maintaining portion 19 maintains the posture of the switching portion 14C, so that the engaging portion 15 is maintained in the released state. Therefore, after releasing the pressure on the operating portion 16C, the user can decouple the plug 10C from the socket 20C by pressing the pair of legs 12A, 12B. That is, when decoupling the plug 10C from the socket 20C, the pair of legs 12A, 12B and the engaging portion 15 can be operated separately rather than simultaneously. This improves the operability of the buckle 1C, allowing the user to release the buckle 1C with one hand.

[0100] The socket 20C of the third embodiment includes a stopper portion 26 provided on the edge of the slit SL1, and the position maintaining portion 19 maintains the position of the switching portion 14C by abutting against the stopper portion 26 in the Z direction. In this configuration, the position maintaining portion 19 is disposed within the slit SL1 of the socket 20, making it easier to reduce the dimension of the buckle 1C in the X direction compared to the first embodiment.

[0101] In the third embodiment, the stopper portion 26 includes a pair of stopper claws 26A, 26B that protrude inward in the Y direction from the edge of the slit SL1, and the posture maintaining portion 19 includes a pair of claws 192A, 192B that abut in the Z direction against the pair of stopper claws 26A, 26B. In this configuration, the posture of the switching portion 14C can be stably maintained by the pair of claws 192A, 192B.

[0102] In this embodiment, the posture maintaining unit 19 further includes arm main bodies 191A and 191B formed to be elastically deformable in the Y direction, and the pair of claws 192A and 192B are connected to the operating unit 16C via the arm main bodies 191A and 191B. In this configuration, the claws 192A and 192B abutting against the stopper claws 26A and 26B can be suitably moved in the Z direction, making it easy to switch the posture of the switching unit 14C.

[0103] In the third embodiment, the engaging portion 15 is located in the release position immediately after the plug 10C is inserted into the socket 20C. With this configuration, the plug 10C can be pulled out of the socket 20C immediately after being coupled to the socket 20C, facilitating the operation of reconnecting the adherend.

[0104] In the third embodiment, the operating portion 16C has an operating surface 161 facing the +Z direction and an operating surface 164 facing the -Z direction, and the engaging portion 15 is switched between an engaged state and a released state by pressing the operating surfaces 161, 164. In this configuration, the user can freely switch the engaging portion 15 between the engaged state and the released state. This further improves the operability of the buckle 1C.

[0105] [Fourth Embodiment] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 19 to 25. As shown in Figures 19 to 22, a buckle 1D of the fourth embodiment is a modified version of the buckle 1C of the third embodiment, and like the buckle 1C of the third embodiment, includes a plug 10D and a socket 20D. However, in the fourth embodiment, the arrangement of the engaging portion 15D in the plug 10D and the arrangement of the slit SL1 in the socket 20D are different from those of the third embodiment.

[0106] 21, the switching portion 14D has a configuration substantially similar to that of the switching portion 14C of the third embodiment, but includes an engaging portion 15D that replaces the engaging portion 15. The engaging portion 15D is provided on the base portion 140 and has a convex shape that protrudes from the base portion 140 in the −Z direction.

[0107] The case 21D has a configuration similar to that of the case 21C of the third embodiment, but has a hole TH1 that penetrates the second wall 212D in the Z direction instead of the first wall 211D. The hole TH1 of the second wall 212D is positioned on the +X side of the slit SL1, and exposes the engaging portion 15D in the -Z direction from the case 21. Here, the edge of the hole TH1 on the -X side of the second wall 212D becomes the engaged portion 216 with which the engaging portion 15D engages.

[0108] 23, the switching unit 14D further includes a pair of support protrusions 165 that protrude in the −Z direction from the operation surface 164 of the operation unit 16C. When the engagement unit 15D is in the engaged state, the support protrusions 165 can abut against the inner surface of the socket 20D, i.e., the inner surface of the second wall portion 212D, in the Z direction, as shown in FIG.

[0109] (Operation of Buckle 1D) The engaging and disengaging operations of the buckle 1D are almost the same as those of the third embodiment except that the Z direction is reversed. A brief description will be given below.

[0110] As a first engagement operation, the user inserts the plug 10D into the first opening AP1 of the socket 20D, causing the legs 12A and 12B to operate in the same manner as in the first embodiment and engage with the socket 20C in the X direction.

[0111] Furthermore, when the plug 10D is inserted into the socket 20D, the inclined surface 152 of the engagement portion 15 is pressed by the second wall portion 212D of the socket 20D, and the flexible portion 141 is elastically deformed, changing the attitude of the switching portion 14D to the +Z side. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 , the claws 192A, 192B are positioned on the +Z side of the stopper claws 26A, 26B, and are able to abut against the stopper claws 26A, 26B in the -Z direction. This restricts the movement of the switching portion 14D to return to its original attitude. In other words, the attitude maintaining portion 19 enters a "release maintaining state" in which the attitude of the switching portion 14D is maintained.

[0112] Furthermore, when the attitude maintaining unit 19 is in the "release maintaining state," the engaging unit 15D is positioned on the +Z side of the engaged unit 216. This causes the engaging unit 15D to enter a "released state" in which the engagement with the socket 20D in the X direction is released.

[0113] As a second engagement operation, the user pushes the operating unit 16C in the -Z direction, i.e., applies pressure in the -Z direction to the operating surface 161 of the operating unit 16C. At this time, the attitude of the switching unit 14C changes to the -Z side so that the elastic deformation of the flexible portion 141 is released. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 , the engaging portion 15D is positioned within the hole TH1 of the second wall portion 212 and becomes engageable in the -X direction with the engaged portion 216, which is the edge of the hole TH1. That is, the engaging portion 15D is in an "engaged state" in which it can engage with the socket 20D in the X direction. Furthermore, the claws 192A and 192B are positioned on the -Z side of the stopper claws 26A and 26B and are able to abut against the stopper claws 26A and 26B in the +Z direction. As a result, the attitude maintaining unit 19 is in an "engaged maintaining state" in which it maintains the attitude of the switching unit 14.

[0114] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, similar to the third embodiment, the legs 12A and 12B are engaged with the socket 20D by the first engagement operation, and the engagement portion 15D is engaged with the socket 20D by the second engagement operation. Note that during the second engagement operation, if the user presses the operation portion 16C to a large extent, the support protrusion 165 abuts against the inner surface of the second wall portion 212D. This prevents the flexible portion 141 from being excessively deformed, and suppresses damage to the plug 10D.

[0115] To release the buckle 1D, the user simply performs the same operations as the first and second release operations described in the first embodiment. Note that in the fourth embodiment, the orientation of the Z direction in the first release operation is opposite to that in the first embodiment.

[0116] The buckle 1D of the fourth embodiment described above has the same effects as the buckle 1C of the third embodiment.

[0117] [Modifications] In each of the above embodiments, a preferred shape of each element is described, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified as desired.

[0118] In each of the above embodiments, the specific configuration of the legs 12A, 12B is not particularly limited as long as they can engage with the sockets 20, 20C, and 20D. For example, in the first embodiment, the legs 12A, 12B have protrusions 122 protruding from the tips of the leg pieces 121, but they may also have protrusions protruding from the middle of the leg pieces 121. In this case, the protrusions of the legs 12A, 12B may engage with the socket 20 in the X direction while being exposed to the outside through the holes TH2 of the socket 20. Such modifications are similarly applicable to the other embodiments.

[0119] In each of the above embodiments, the plugs 10, 10B, 10C, and 10D have a flexible portion 141 that elastically deforms in the Z direction to change the posture of the switching portion 14, 14B, 14C, and 14D. Here, the flexible portion 141 in each of the above embodiments is configured as part of the switching portion 14, 14B, 14C, and 14D, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any other portion of the plugs 10, 10B, 10C, and 10D may be the flexible portion. In other words, it is not essential that the switching portion 14, 14B, 14C, and 14D have the flexible portion 141. For example, in the first embodiment, the posture of the switching portion 14 may be changed by elastically deforming in the Z direction at least in part of the support legs 13A and 13B as a flexible portion. Such a modification is similarly applicable to the other embodiments.

[0120] In each of the above embodiments, the position maintaining units 17 and 19 need only contact the sockets 20, 20C, and 20D when the engaging units 15 and 15D are in the disengaged state, but may not contact the sockets 20, 20C, and 20D when the engaging units 15 and 15D are in the engaged state. For example, in the first and second embodiments, when the engaging units 15 are in the engaged state, a gap in the Z direction may exist between the claws 17A and 17B and the stopper unit 25 (see FIG. 4). Similarly, in the third and fourth embodiments, when the engaging units 15 and 15D are in the engaged state, a gap in the Z direction may exist between the claws 192A and 192B and the stopper claws 26A and 26B (see FIGS. 14 and 22). In such cases, the position of the switching unit 14 may be maintained solely by the rigidity of the plugs 10 and 10B-10D.

[0121] In each of the above embodiments, the attitude maintaining units 17 and 19 are connected to the operation units 16 and 16C, but the present invention is not limited to this and they may be provided at any position on the switching units 14, 14B to 14D. Also, in each of the above embodiments, the attitude maintaining units 17 and 19 include a pair of claws 17A, 17B, 192A, and 192B, but they may be configured to include one of the pair of claws 17A, 17B, 192A, and 192B.

[0122] In the first and second embodiments, the support legs 13A, 13B, 18A, 18B are connected to the legs 12A, 12B, but may be connected to any other portion of the plug 10, 10B, such as the mounting portion 11. Similarly, in the third and fourth embodiments, the support legs 13C, 13D are connected to the mounting portion 11, but may be connected to any other portion of the plug 10C, 10D, such as the legs 12A, 12B. Furthermore, the switching units 14, 14B to 14D may be supported by the legs 12A, 12B or the mounting portion 11 without being supported by the support legs 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 18A, 18B. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the plug 10, 10B to 10D includes a pair of support legs 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 18A, 18B that support the switching units 14, 14B to 14D, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plugs 10, 10B to 10D may be configured to include one of a pair of support legs 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 18A, 18B.

[0123] Furthermore, the various components in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate. For example, the plugs 10 and 10B of the first and second embodiments may include the engagement portion 15D described in the fourth embodiment, and the operating portion 16 of the first embodiment may include the operating surface 164 described in the third embodiment. Furthermore, the plugs 10C and 10D of the third and fourth embodiments may include a pair of support legs 13C and 13D described in the second embodiment.

[0124] 1, 1C, 1D... buckle, 10, 10B to 10D... plug, 11, 11C... mounting portion, 111, 112, 114... rod portion, 113A, 113B... side wall portion, 12A, 12B... leg portion, 121... leg piece portion, 122... protrusion portion, 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D... support leg portion, 131, 134... connecting portion, 132... recess, 133... guide piece, 14, 14B, 14C, 14D... switch portion, 140...base portion, 141...flexible portion, 15, 15D...engaging portion, 151...contact surface, 152...inclined surface, 16, 16C...operating portion, 161...operating surface (first surface), 162...recess, 163...plate portion, 164...operating surface (second surface), 165...supporting protrusion, 17...position maintaining portion, 17A, 17B...claw portion, 171...contact surface, 172...inclined surface, 18A, 18B...supporting leg portion, 19...position maintaining portion Holding part, 19A, 19B...Arm part, 191A, 191B...Arm body part, 192A, 192B...Claw part, 20, 20C, 20D...Socket, 21, 21C, 21D...Case part, 211, 21 1D...first wall part, 212, 212D...second wall part, 213A, 213B...side wall part, 214...guide surface, 215...engaged surface, 216...engaged part, 217...wall part, 22...attachment part, 221... Rod portion, 223A, 223B...connecting portion, 24, 24C...guide portion, 241...guide protrusion portion, 242...guide end portion, 25...stopper portion, 251...contact surface, 252...protrusion portion, 26...stopper portion, 26A, 26B...stopper claw portion, AP1...first opening, AP2...second opening, F...pressure, G, GP...gap, SL1 to SL3...slit, SP...accommodation space, TH1, TH2...hole.

Claims

1. A buckle (1, 1B, 1C, 1D) comprising plugs (10, 10B, 10C, 10D) and sockets (20, 20C, 20D) into which the plugs (10, 10B, 10C, 10D) are inserted, The aforementioned plugs (10, 10B, 10C, 10D) are Mounting parts (11, 11C) to which the object to be attached can be attached, A pair of legs (12A, 12B) protrude from the mounting portion (11, 11C) in the insertion direction into the socket (20, 20C, 20D) and elastically engage with the socket (20, 20C, 20D), The device comprises a switching section (14, 14B, 14C, 14D) positioned between the pair of legs (12A, 12B) and supported by the mounting section (11, 11C) or the pair of legs (12A, 12B), The switching units (14, 14B, 14C, 14D) are Depending on the orientation of the switching parts (14, 14B, 14C, 14D) relative to the sockets (20, 20C, 20D), the engaging parts (15, 15D) switch between an engaged state in which they engage with the sockets (20, 20C, 20D) and a disengaged state in which they disengage from the sockets (20, 20C, 20D), Operating parts (16, 16C) that receive pressure to change the orientation of the switching parts (14, 14B, 14C, 14D) relative to the sockets (20, 20C, 20D), A buckle comprising: posture-maintaining parts (17, 19) that contact the socket (20, 20C, 20D) to maintain the posture of the switching parts (14, 14B, 14C, 14D) when at least the engaging parts (15, 15D) are in the released state.

2. The aforementioned socket (20) is An opening (AP1) through which the pair of legs (12A, 12B) are inserted is provided, and a case portion (21) that houses the pair of legs (12A, 12B) is provided, The case portion (21) comprises a stopper portion (25) that protrudes from the opening (AP1) along the insertion direction, The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the posture-maintaining portion (17) abuts against the stopper portion (25) in a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction.

3. The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the posture-maintaining portion (17) comprises a pair of claw portions (17A, 17B) that face each other in left-right directions intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, respectively, and that abut against the stopper portion (25) in the thickness direction.

4. The buckle according to claim 3, wherein the pair of claw portions (17A, 17B) are connected to the operating portion (16) and are formed to be elastically deformable in the thickness direction.

5. The aforementioned sockets (20C, 20D) are An opening (AP1) through which the pair of legs (12A, 12B) are inserted is provided, and a case portion (21C, 21D) that houses the pair of legs (12A, 12B) is provided, A slit (SL1) is formed in the case portion (21C, 21D) so as to communicate with the opening (AP1), and the operating portion (16C) is exposed from the case portion (21C, 21D) in the thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction, The slit (SL1) is provided with a stopper portion (26) at its edge, The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the posture-maintaining portion (19) abuts against the stopper portion (26) in the thickness direction.

6. The stopper portion (26) comprises a pair of stopper claws (26A, 26B) that protrude inward from the edge of the slit (SL1) in the left-right direction intersecting the insertion direction and the thickness direction, respectively. The buckle according to claim 5, wherein the posture-maintaining portion (19) comprises a pair of claw portions (192A, 192B) that abut against the pair of stopper claw portions (26A, 26B) in the thickness direction.

7. The posture maintenance unit (19) further comprises arm body portions (191A, 191B) that are elastically deformable in the left-right direction, The buckle according to claim 6, wherein the pair of claw portions (192A, 192B) are connected to the operating portion (16C) via the arm body portion (191A, 191B).

8. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the posture-maintaining parts (17, 19) abut against the sockets (20, 20C, 20D) to maintain the posture of the switching parts (14, 14C, 14D) when the engaging parts (15, 15D) are in the released state and when the engaging parts (15, 15D) are in the engaged state.

9. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion (15) is positioned in the engaged state immediately after the plug (10, 10B) is inserted into the socket (20).

10. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion (15, 15D) is positioned in the released state immediately after the plug (10C, 10D) is inserted into the socket (20C, 20D).

11. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the plug (10, 10C, 10D) further comprises a pair of support legs (13A, 13B, 13C, 13D) that pass from each base end of the pair of legs (12A, 12B) or the mounting portion (11, 11C) between the pair of legs (12A, 12B) and the switching portion (14, 14C, 14D) and are connected to the switching portion (14, 14C, 14D).

12. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the plug (10B) further comprises a pair of support legs (18A, 18B) that extend from the respective tips of the pair of legs (12A, 12B) through the pair of legs (12A, 12B) and the engaging portions (15, 15D), and are connected to the operating portion (16C).

13. The operating section (16C) has a first surface (161) facing one side in the thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction of the plug (10C, 10D), and a second surface (164) facing the other side in the thickness direction. The buckle according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the engaging portion (15, 15D) switches between the engaged state and the released state by pressure applied to the first surface (161) or the second surface (164).

14. The engaging portion (15D) switches from the released state to the engaged state by the pressure applied to the first surface (161). The buckle according to claim 13, wherein the switching portion (14D) protrudes from the second surface (164) of the operating portion (16C) and has a support projection (165) that can abut against the inner surface of the socket (20D).